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Red Sox to retire Ortiz's No. 34 in June

Bob DeChiara / Reuters

David Ortiz appears fully committed to his retirement plan.

The Boston Red Sox announced Thursday they will retire Ortiz's No. 34 during a June 23 ceremony at Fenway Park, prior to their matchup with the Los Angeles Angels.

Ortiz will join Bobby Doerr (No.1), Joe Cronin (No. 4), Johnny Pesky (No. 6), Carl Yastrzemski (No. 8), Ted Williams (No. 9), Jim Rice (No. 14), Wade Boggs (No. 26), Carlton Fisk (No. 27), and Pedro Martinez (No. 45) as the players to have their number retired by the Red Sox.

The 41-year-old officially retired in November after 20 major-league seasons, though there's been plenty of speculation regarding a potential return despite Ortiz reiterating on numerous occasions that he has no plans to come back.

"My playing time has already expired," Ortiz told Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes earlier this month. "Baseball is not something that you wake up today and you say, 'I'll play tomorrow.' Baseball is something that carries a lot of sacrifice, a lot of preparation, and there is a reason why we train the entire year to play it, practice every day, especially during the season, because it is a sport of consistency."

Ortiz will become just the second player in Red Sox history to have his number retired without already being in the Hall of Fame, but the legacy he built in 14 years in Boston made him an obvious choice to receive the honor just months after retirement.

In Red Sox history, the slugger ranks sixth in hits, fifth in games played and runs, fourth in walks and OPS, third in RBIs and second in homers, while playing a key role on three World Series championship teams.

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